The Secret History of Heavy Metal

Are you a heavy metal fan? No? That's okay, too. Whether you're the sort of man who knows everything from who first threw the Devil Horns to the correct pronunciation of Yngwie Malmsteen, there is something fascinating to learn from Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Story of Metal, by Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman, out today — loads of little-known, often creepy anecdotes that shed new light on the making of Satan's Music. Herewith, ten stories about metal from the book for your casual perusal.

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How Rob Halford Knocked Himself Out

We're used to rockers having motorcycle accidents on the road. But it takes a special man to have one onstage. KK Downing, Judas Priest's guitarist, talks about the night singer Halford nearly killed himself: "When he came onstage on his motorcycle, metal stairs rose up and Rob would drive underneath the stairs... The intro tape started, but everyone but Rob was late to the stage, so the guy who started to lift the stairs up in all the smoke brought the stairs back down because we weren't ready to start the show. Rob was already riding the bike toward the stairs and they were halfway down, so he literally drove into them and was knocked unconscious."

Phil Anselmo's Heroin Death

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Many Pantera fans know former lead singer Phil Anselmo used smack. But did they know the Cookie Monster-voiced belter issued his own press release stating he overdosed and nearly ended up in heaven? Could he have sung "Cowboys from Hell" there? From the statement: "I, Philip H. Anselmo, immediately after a very successful show in Dallas, injected a lethal dose of Heroin into my arm and died for four to five minutes." Anselmo closed with, "I WILL NOT DIE SO EASILY!"

Dave Mustaine's Valium Death

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We always knew the Megadeth guitarist was a competitive guy. But unlike the plucky Anselmo, Dave claims to have taken so many Valiums, he didn't just put a down payment on that farm — he actually bought it. Apparently, Dave's wife didn't like his excessive drinking. His response: "I was much keener than to be defeated by something as simple as the smell of alcohol. So I got Valiums. I took a bunch and overdosed and my heart stopped. It wasn't near death. It was death... I didn't see a light or a tunnel or anything like that. The hospital actually called my wife to say I died. After that, I started to improve my life."

Korn's Obsession with Death

Jonathan Davis of Korn has a really good reason for why his lyrics are so dark. In high school, while his friends were working on their golf slices, he was cutting up dead bodies. Davis got a job at the coroner's office, assisting on autopsies: "I was like, 'Oh cool, I'll be able to see dead bodies and cut them open.' I liked trying to figure out how people died."

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Vince Neil's Low Point

When the Mötley Crüe lead singer accidentally killed his buddy Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley in a DUI, you'd figure he just lived through the world's worst nightmare. But his band mates made it worse, showing all the sensitivity of soccer hooligans after a keg of Guinness: "Of course [my bandmates] turned against me. It was an accident, but they thought I deliberately did it to fuck them over... I tried to be sober during the tour. The guys weren't supportive at all. It was hard sitting on our airplane and having me pass cocaine and beers to somebody."

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Returning Tony Iommi's Finger

Most Black Sabbath fans know window-shattering guitarist Tony Iommi lost the tips of two fingers before he became famous. Fewer, though, know he lost one again right before a show. Mountain drummer Corky Laing: "I remember running around some auditorium in New Orleans when Sabbath was opening for us once, and we were trying to find Tony Iommi's finger. He couldn't go on without it. We were all on the floor looking for his finger. It had rolled under an amp."

Axl Rose's Time in Hiding

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Anybody looking for an omen of Axl Rose's future trouble with the law only needs to hear record executive Vicky Hamilton talk about the volatile frontman. It sounds like a heavy metal version of The Fugitive, with a little Three Stooges: "Slash called one day and said, 'The police are looking for Axl [on rape charges]. Can he come sleep on your couch for a couple of days?' This was before I was their manager. Axl moved in. Then a few days later, they were like, 'The police are still coming around. Can we move in?' So the rest of Guns is living with me, with the exception of Duff." Hamilton survived a week, and Poison's manager eventually gave her some money to check into a hotel, so she "wouldn't have a nervous breakdown and die." For all her trouble, Guns N' Roses dumped Hamilton right before they got signed.

Why Lemmy Rocks

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You may think that the crazy dude who plays bass faster than a hummingbird flaps its wings does it for the glory. But according to Louder, Lemmy has a slightly less pure reason for slamming out "Ace Of Spades" for the 10,000th time: "I don't care what people say. They're in it for the pussy, you know? The music's important, too, but it's more about the pussy."

Sharon Osbourne's Defense of Ozzy's Dove Decapitating

By now, most people know that when Ozzy Osbourne signed to CBS in the '80s, he capped off the ceremony by grabbing a dove and biting its head off. If that makes you feel like you're gonna hurl, consider his wife/manager Sharon Osbourne's rationalization: "Ozzy's not like other people. He didn't have a normal upbringing; he had to work in a slaughterhouse killing cows. He would shoot five thousand cows in a day in the middle of the head. So for him to take a bird and spit its head out and laugh is nothing." Okay, then.

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Courtney Love's Problem with Fred Durst

Although she usually exhibits the grace and tact of a WWF champ, Courtney Love especially relished insulting Limp Bizkit for being a harbinger of bad metal: "I have to say, as much as I like Fred [Durst], he brought about the worst years in rock history. That just be a fact, okay? ... You did it for the nookie, dude in the red baseball hat? I'm so sorry you're here for the nookie. I could beat your ass." I'm pretty sure more people would pay to see that than a Limb Bizkit reunion. By a landslide.

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